Enterprises should be clear on what they expect from software as a service (SaaS) solutions, and should focus on the ends, and not the means. Organisations need to look at what they want to achieve using SaaS, rather than what tools they will use to reach their desired outcomes.
This is according to Craig Terblanche, CXO advisor and speaker at deliverIT, ITWeb's IT service management (ITSM) summit. The event was held at The Forum, in Bryanston, this week.
The priorities of SaaS adoption need to be established based on internal capabilities, the existing quality of service, and the cost of provision, he elaborates.
SaaS is becoming mainstream in the corporate IT mix, and as a result, CIOs need to be informed, to ensure SaaS is understood by the business.
Business managers need to find ways to support users, he continues, stressing that organisations cannot just use technology for technology's sake.
SaaS-based IT management tools will not be suitable for all organisations, Terblanche points out. SaaS solutions should be architectured so that customers feel empowered; customers need to be able to personalise their solutions through a self-service process, he emphasises.
There is a growing number of SaaS options across the spectrum of enterprise IT management needs. These include ITSM, enterprise architecture and project and portfolio management, he says. SaaS provides a wealth of IT functionality and capabilities.
However, organisations also need to be mindful of treating SaaS as an all-you-can-eat buffet, he adds, emphasising that they need to be clear on what they expect from SaaS-delivered solutions.
“Organisations need to consider the governance impact of managing multiple third-party suppliers of IT services. To succeed with outsourced IT service delivery, robust governance and service management structures between the service recipient and service providers for service integration must be implemented,” he concludes.
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